training DAY 3 for real

it's really hard to go to the gym in the evening. you're all settled in and cozy at home--pj's on, check--heater on, check--tv on, check. so i was writing the next blog entry over and over in my head ("my tooth still hurts"--which would be lying, or "the treadmill's broken"--which would also be lying) and i couldn't find a good excuse. so i went, and let me tell you. it was hard. i don't know if it was because i took a day off or because i wasn't feeling well the past couple days (or probably a combination of both) but i was sweating like a pig and breathing like an asthmatic and in pain. i think this is why running is so inspiring. it is the most basic sport there is. it's just you. nothing else. just your legs and your lungs moving you. and it's all about being strong and persevering despite your desires to do otherwise--to be weak, to quit. there's a reason why it's the analogy used in the bible for pressing on in our lives. too bad i suck at running. too bad there are no skating references in the bible.

DAY 3: 1.5 miles
total run time: 16 minutes (10-10.5 minute mile pace; incline = 1)
since it was my third day running 1.5 miles, i thought maybe i could make things a little more challenging by introducing an incline. and like i said--i was totally beat. i could feel that my body wasn't at 100%. i felt achy and sluggish. my lungs burned for the first time (they didn't for days 1 or 2). i was reaaaally tempted to stop running around 1.3 miles because i started feeling queasy but i knew i'd be really disappointed at myself if i didn't keep going. but every second starting from then on felt like an eternity. i'm glad i didn't throw up--i really felt like i might at one point. i skipped strength training due to the queasiness.

tomorrow, i'm going down to nj to help my mom pack. my parents are moving. i'll be there till wed, and i'm a little scared because when i'm down there, there's no gym i can use so i'm going to be forced to train outside. we'll see how it goes.

food
eating well goes hand-in-hand with training, and i've been trying to be more conscious and deliberate about the foods we eat. i think that more than what we eat (because i generally cook pretty healthy meals), it's how much we eat. it's often about portion control. i told sh that i'd start putting smaller plates of food in front of him and that he has to resist the urge for seconds. so far, it's been working pretty well. now stopping ourselves from snacking is another story...

today, i "made" shabu shabu for dinner. it's such an awesome meal. you don't have to cook anything, you eat tons of vegetables, it's cheap, and there's very little clean-up afterwards. if you want to try it sometime, here's how to do it:

necessary equipment:
large pot (dutch oven works well, i used my le creuset)
butane gas tabletop grill (koreans are all about this. if you don't have one, they sell them at all korean supermarkets)

ingredients:
dashimah (or kombu in japanese)--these are the big sheets of seaweed used to make broth
dried shiitake mushrooms
bokchoy or shanghai tips (cut off the ends so that the leaves are separate)
firm tofu (cut into 1 inch cubes)
harusame (or mai fun)--thin clear glass noodles
napa cabbage (cut into 1 inch slices)
inoki mushrooms
scallions (cut into 1 inch pieces)
super thinly sliced sirloin/ribeye (probably will only find this at korean/japanese markets)
shabu shabu sauce

1. fill the pot 3/4 of the way with water, and put it on the grill with the heat turned high. put a piece of dashimah in (about the size of half a sheet of paper) and about 3 shiitake mushrooms. let this boil for about 10 minutes. if the water is evaporating too quickly, you can add some more. this will create the broth.
2. once the broth is a light yellow color, you can turn the heat down to medium high. start dunking whatever tickles your fancy into the pot. once it's cooked, take it out, dip into the shabu shabu sauce, and eat! it's so healthy, so delicious (cue albert's mom's voicemail).
3. you can save the leftover broth for later. i used it to make another soup.

let me know if you try it. or if you're too lazy, come over. we can have it together.
after all my hard work "cooking" shabu shabu, i treated myself to a large piece of homemade pumpkin pie. i said snacking was still a work in progress.